


Camp pinning hearts

by Nej_Illjuna



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, Short & Sweet, Shy Yang Jeongin | I.N, Sneaking Out, Stargazing, Summer Camp, Sweet Hwang Hyunjin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-03
Updated: 2020-02-03
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:13:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22542328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nej_Illjuna/pseuds/Nej_Illjuna
Summary: Things changed for Jeongin when Hyunjin came to summer camp with a lip ring.
Relationships: Hwang Hyunjin/Yang Jeongin | I.N
Comments: 7
Kudos: 170





	Camp pinning hearts

**Author's Note:**

> Shameless reference to Steven Universe in the title. Inspired by the end of Hyunjin's One Kid's Room.

Jeongin sneaked down the wooden pathway, careful not to make any sound. His eyes roamed around him, trying to decipher what lurked in the pitch black darkness of the night.

If you asked him, Jeongin would define himself as someone who did what was right. He was respectful, followed the rules, had a strong moral compass that led all of his decisions, and that's precisely why it was so nerve wracking to be outside way past curfew. Swallowing down his rising panic, he focused on the shadow a few steps ahead, following him between the trees.

It wasn't how he envisioned his summer camp to be. Usually, it was more of a laid-back, somewhat entertaining experience, where he would come back every year to find his same group of friends. They would hang out, have fun in a more or less innocent way - some of Jisung and Seungmin's pranks were a little extreme - and that was it. At least, that's how it had been up to this point.

But then Hyunjin came back with a lip ring and everything changed.

They stopped at the shack where Hyunjin fumbled with the lock for a few seconds in the dark until it opened. Jeongin was still nervously watching the trees, terrified at the idea that an adult could catch them. Hyunjin swore to him that he double checked everything and they were safe, but nothing could calm him down.

"Innie, you take that side of the canoe", whispered Hyunjin, illuminating the side in question with his phone.

"O-Okay."

In the blink of an eye, they had carried their load to the lake's shore, carefully putting it in the water without scraping the gravel. The dark ink shivered a little, quickly coming back to its flat state. Daring to breathe again, Jeongin looked up at his friend, currently getting out of his shoes. Now that the cover of the trees didn't block the moon anymore, he could see his figure detaching itself from the background with a thin line of silver. And what a figure that was. His eyes had gotten used to the night, sharp enough to see his dark hair falling in his eyes, his strong but lean arms coming out of the loose tank top he used as a pajama. Jeongin realized he was staring, and turned away, embarrassed. Things had changed, way more than he ever anticipated, and he didn't know how to approach it.

"Get in", suggested his soft voice, taking him out of his thoughts. "I'll push us."

He obeyed in silence, dangerously swaying in the little boat before he got his balance back. Hyunjin took a few steps in the water, leading it where it would be deep enough to use the paddles, and jumped in with a final push when the small waves licked at his knees. The noise produced by the splashing and landing made the younger wince, and it was only thanks to the smile he now saw clearly next to him that his shoulders relaxed.

"Let's go now !" Hyunjin said, excited, properly sitting down before doing a double take, a frown on his face. "Hey. Are you okay ? Do you want to go back ? It's fine if you don't feel like it, we talked about it."

"No, no, it's fine, let's go", he smiled, starting to paddle to give weight to his words.

Hyunjin pinched his lips, suspicious - his lips with the piercing,  _ this damn ring _ \- and turned his back to him, joining his efforts. It wasn't fine. It hadn't been fine since Hyunjin turned around in the bus bringing them here, Jeongin's stomach flipping with an unknown feeling when he looked at his mouth. It didn't get any better when he found him getting overly touchy-feely for  _ weeks _ with Changbin. And it certainly didn't help when he came to him to ask for this nocturnal excursion, just the two of them. He was confused, scared of getting caught, and he hated it but there was no way he would say no to him.

The sound of water was the only thing troubling the night. They were slow, trying not to be too noisy, aiming for the side of the lake that was hidden by a peninsula. Hyunjin said he had scouted the area last summer, and wanted to do this ever since. Jeongin looked at his back, his shoulders, flexing while maneuvering the canoe, and he really didn't want to look at his muscles shifting, but it was so hard. His grip tightened on the paddle, dry skin stinging at his knuckles. He couldn't help it. Powerless to look away, memories flooded his mind. All those other times he didn't want to stare, like that day when it was so hot and they were playing volleyball and Hyunjin was so cool jumping to smash the ball and his shirt was riding up showing his abs glistening with sweat and-

Jeongin bit the inside of his cheek, hard enough to hurt. Not now. Not ever, if possible. Having a… what was he supposed to call it ? Some form of attraction ? For a friend was one thing. But when said friend had so clearly shown that he was interested in someone else, he couldn't allow himself to dwell on it. He relaxed his jaw, feeling the imprint of his braces on his cheek with his tongue. It was only temporary anyway. He just had to wait for the end of summer, and everything would go back to normal. Maybe he would dream of lip rings for a while, but whatever. It would go away.

"Hey, Innie ?"

"Yes ?"

Hyunjin let himself fall backwards, his head landing on Jeongin's thighs, looking him in the eye with a pout. Right, maybe add that to the unwanted dreams. He stopped paddling, letting them drift on the lake.

"Do you really feel okay ? I know that's not the kind of thing you're comfortable with. I don't like to think that I'm forcing you, so be honest with me. Stop lying."

Jeongin smiled down at him. Had he really been that easy to read ?

"I'm not lying. I'm scared, and I'll totally blame you if we get caught outside, but I'm glad I'm here with you."

Perhaps that was too much, but Hyunjin simply smiled back, humming lowly and rising a hand to brush his fingers on his face. Jeongin's heart got caught in his throat, frozen by the trail of fire that was left on his cheek. He didn't have time to process it before Hyunjin went back to his original position, resuming the paddling, and Jeongin took a few seconds to match his movements. He was burning. He had no excuse, nowhere to run, so he sucked it up and focused on the dark water to take his mind off of it.

He knew it was only friendship. Hyunjin touched everyone, way more than it should be allowed. And he saw how he was with Changbin. It wasn't like that. With him, he was bolder, shameless, explicitly over the line. With Jeongin, like just now, he was gentle. Caring. Others in their group snatched him to crush him in their arms, Hyunjin draped himself over him carefully. He liked it that way, but he also knew what it meant.

So, really, he shouldn't be reacting like that. He shouldn't let his mind linger on every touch, every smile. He had so many ways to rationalize ; it's only puberty and hormones, it's this feeling of freedom he gets from summer away from home, it's Hyunjin that grew up to be this attractive. Nothing helped. Especially not the attractive Hyunjin part. He remembered the face Chan gave him when one night he was rambling about how  _ sexy _ the boy was when he ran a hand through his hair coming out of the water and slightly looking down. He didn't say anything, but he could hear the "You're whipped, mate" that was left unsaid. How was he supposed to react any other way ? Was everyone else blind ? Did no one see how incredibly sexy Hyunjin was ? It was baffling.

"We're here", announced Hyunjin, jumping in the shallow water to lead them.

Jeongin watched him drag the canoe to the shore, its bottom scraping the pebbles until it was safely stranded. Hyunjin extended his hand to help him get out, and the youngest welcomed the help, relaxing his hand once his feet were on the ground. Hyunjin didn't let go. After a short hesitation, he threaded his fingers around his. He liked that. He looked up, searching for his face, but the oldest wasn't looking at him.

"That's what I wanted to show you", he said, smiling at the moon.

Jeongin followed his gaze, discovering the night sky showing its stars with clarity, slashed by what could only be the Milky Way. He gaped, taking a step back, like it could help him take in the immensity of the universe. He only noticed that Hyunjin sat down when he tugged at his arm, breaking his contemplation long enough so that he could follow him.

"It's so beautiful", he breathed, transfixed.

"Yeah, it is."

Hyunjin lied down, Jeongin copying him, their hands still intertwined between them. A warm breeze shuffled the leaves of the trees surrounding them. Thousands of pale dots blinked and flickered, Jeongin trying his best to look at them all, straining his eyes to catch even the weakest. He had never seen so many stars at once. Even when he was there, and not in the city, there was always something - the trees, the lights, the curfew. This time, there was nothing between him and the endless space. He wanted to take everything in at once.

"When I saw that place, I thought it would be nice for stargazing since there's no tree in the way and not much light pollution", Hyunjin explained quietly, playing with the fingers in his hand. "I thought you would like it. You mentioned wanting to do it once."

"I… I love it. It's so beautiful", he repeated, at a loss for words.

"Mmh. I'm glad", he said, a smile in his voice.

He felt his heart fill up with warmth. He was still young, but he knew it was one of  _ those _ moments. A perfect one. One he would always remember, always come back to. He carefully locked it in his heart, this instant of pure happiness on a summer night. It washed over him like the small waves washed the pebbles at his feet, leaving him feeling full and complete. He looked at Hyunjin, his feelings overflowing.

"Thank you", he simply said, hoping his words could carry the depth of his emotions.

Hyunjin was already looking at him, his eyes becoming softer, his smile larger. He brought their hands to his lips, a kiss on his fingers like a feather's touch, his piercing contrasting with his soft lips, and went back to look at the stars.

His heart beating a bit faster, Jeongin got back to stargazing as well. Maybe it was the warm summer night, maybe it was the high of their forbidden journey, but he felt like for this one time, he could accept his feelings without fighting them. Because the sky was beautiful, just like Hyunjin was beautiful, and he loved to see beautiful things. So, after a few minutes, he tugged their hands towards him, mirroring Hyunjin's actions, his warm fingers against his lips. He didn't turn his head to see his reaction, but he heard him shift, small rocks sliding against each other. It took several moments until Hyunjin broke the silence.

"Jeongin ?"

His voice was a bit broken, and it took a lot from Jeongin not to react to it. He simply turned his head, finding his friend turned to him on his side, black strands of hair spread on the pebbles, something akin to melancholy in his eyes. They didn't say anything for a while, simply staring at each other. Then Hyunjin broke into a grin, his free hand pinching his cheek.

"Oh, Inne, you're so cute~ !" he singsonged.

Jeongin didn't find it amusing.

He slapped his hand away and turned back to the sky, hurt even if he wasn't sure why. He didn't want to think about it. He felt the hand in his start to hesitate, and when it didn't encounter any resistance, pull away. Jeongin crossed his arms. It felt empty. He heard more movement, and soon enough, Hyunjin's head appeared in front of him.

"Hey, did I say something ? Why are you acting like that ?"

Jeongin looked away, refusing to answer. Hyunjin frowned.

"I'm sorry", he tired, and Jeongin knew he didn't know what he was sorry for because he didn't know either.

"You have a crush on Changbin, right ?"

"What ?"

Hyunjin was actually startled, switching to his loud talking voice despite their situation. He frowned, and when Jeongin finally looked at him, he frowned harder.

"What ? No ! What ?!"

Jeongin rolled his eyes, not having it.

"Right, so you've aggressively flirted with him since we've arrived because you're just friends ?"

Realization dawned on Hyunjin's face.

"Aaah,  _ that's _ what you're talking about !" he exclaimed, controlling his volume this time. "Yeah, no, I was only doing this to make Felix jealous. Changbin knows it's an act."

It was Jeongin's turn to frown.

"What ?"

"You never noticed ? Felix has been pinning for Binnie for like… three years now. And he still won't ask him for his number. Can you believe that ? So I thought that this year, I could make him realize that he needs to move his butt before someone takes his place, you know. It's not like he would get rejected, you've seen how soft he is for him. And yeah, now Lix is kind of ignoring me, but it'll be worth it in the long run. I mean, just how cute would they be together, right ?"

He blinked, taking in the information hidden in the middle of all the gossipy drama Hyunjin loved so much. He didn't actually flirt with Changbin. He didn't have a crush on him.

Being forward and blunt didn't mean he was interested.

"Oh", he softly said, coming to terms with the pillar of his reasoning for keeping away from Hyunjin shattering.

Hyunjin, still bent over him, waited for a bit before talking again.

"You thought I liked him ?"

"Well, kinda, yeah", he muttered, embarrassed.

"Why would I bring  _ you _ here instead of him ?"

"Well, I don't know, it doesn't have to be someone that you  _ like _ ."

Hyunjin didn't answer, his eyes full of that melancholia once again. Jeongin waited for something, anything, but nothing came.

Wait.

His guts started dancing the macarena as the idea slowly made its way in his panicked brain.

_ Wait _ .

No, no no no. What was he thinking. He must have been misinterpreting the situation. There was no way Hyunjin saw him as something else than a cute younger brother. He couldn't have hope now.

But his eyes. His dangerous eyes were baring his soul, loaded with unspoken feelings. He wanted to squirm under his scrutiny, was too paralyzed by the panic to do so. When the silence became too heavy, Hyunjin straightened up, away from him, imperceptibly shaking his head. Jeongin jumped up, grabbing his arm desperately, like he would drift away on the lake if he didn't ground him. He stared at the pebbles under them, fingers digging into his skin.

"I- I like that you brought me here."

He was met with only silence, and didn't know how Hyunjin was reacting, so in doubt, he kept going.

"And I'm happy that you remembered that I said I wanted it. And- And I also… I… like that… you don't see Changbin as more than a friend."

He didn't know how to express himself. He didn't even understand it himself, how was he supposed to tell him about it ? A hand caressed the back of his head, making him look up. Hyunjin was close. So close. Jeongin's eyes went to the lip ring before he locked gazes with him.

"You didn't like to see me with him ?" he whispered, so low it made his voice husky.

Jeongin shook weakly his head. It only took seconds, but now he felt like it was Hyunjin that was his lifeline and himself holding on for his life.

"Why ?"

Jeongin almost laughed. The fingers running through his locks kept him calm.

"I was jealous, I guess", he said, wavering.

"Why would you be ?" he hummed, his breath fanning over his face.

Jeongin licked his lips. Looked at Hyunjin's. Looked away, cheeks burning. He knew he caught that. On his nape, the caresses turned into a loose grip. He could've sworn his heart actually stopped when he got closer, kissing his cheek.

"I like you, Jeongin", he whispered in his ear, making him shiver.

His head was swirling with emotions. That was too much to process, and he knew he had to react, but how could he when  _ the _ Hwang Hyunjin just said those words ? His mouth opened, closed, opened again, like a fish suffocating - he surely felt like one right now.

"I'm… not good with that", he finally squeezed out, feeling himself sweating.

"It's okay", said Hyunjin, comforting. "You don't have to be."

As silly as it was, it actually made him relax a bit.

"I, hum… I'm not sure what I'm feeling ? Like, I really, really want to- to be close to you and kiss you and look at you but - but I don't know what it means ? I don't - I've never - It's the first time I-"

"Shhh, breathe, it's okay", he said, hand rubbing his back up and down. "You don't have to think so hard about this."

"But it's- It's important", he protested. "I don't want to lead you on !"

"Innie, I don't think you'd be capable of it even if you wanted to. Just think about right now. How do you feel ?"

"... Happy", he decided. "Also, scared."

"And you said you wanted to kiss me ?"

Jeongin thanked his gods that the night was here to hide his blush, because he was sure to be almost purple at that point. Shy, he nodded.

"You can do it if you want."

Jeongin choked.

"Wha- Bu- What if my kissing game is terrible ?!" he panicked.

"Then I'll help you practice", he smiled.

Jeongin hit his arm, ready to die, while Hyunjin laughed the more silently he could, throwing his head back.

"That was terrible", he squealed. "Never do that again. Ever."

"No promises", he chuckled, stroking his cheek with all his affection.

Jeongin swallowed. He wanted to try it. He could. All he had to do was bend a little forward. He breathed in, breathed out, breathed in again because didn't he need air for that ? Also why was his mouth so dry ? He licked his lips again, this time noticing Hyunjin's eyes following the movement. The hand on his cheek went back to cup his head. There were butterflies in his stomach and a looping under his belly button. He wanted to. He could. He was going to.

He carefully angled his face, and, before he could think about it too much, placed a small peck on his lips. Hyunjin smiled, doing the same, and it gave Jeongin the confidence he needed to try more. This time he stayed against him, feeling his shape, how soft and squishy his lips were. He knew his hands were shaking, gripping tightly his arm, but he didn't care. What was important, however, was Hyunjin responding to his kiss, moving against him, Jeongin trying to match his rhythm. They broke off to breathe, Jeongin panting way too much for what happened. He grabbed his tank top, lost.

"That's a lot", he said, overwhelmed. "That's really a lot."

"That's fine, we can stop there", softly said Hyunjin. "You want to stargaze for the rest of the night and then go to bed ?"

"Yes, I'd like that", he sighed, trying to slow down his heart.

"Come here."

He put an arm around his shoulders, making him lie down with him, using his arm as a pillow. After a short surprise, Jeongin found his ideal position and carefully snuggled up to him, testing his new boundaries.

He didn't know much about feelings, and he wasn't sure about what any of this meant, but right now, he was happy, and nothing else mattered. He sighed contently, the stars of a perfect summer night reflecting in their eyes.

(Later, when they would come back to their beds, Hyunjin would squeal and roll on the floor hugging his pillow, being judged by Woojin and Minho, explaining in detail how he finally confessed and how magical that was - but that's for him to know and for Jeongin to find out.)


End file.
